Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,739 per month in Riyadh vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Riyadh vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,304 per month in Riyadh vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Riyadh costs about 72% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Riyadh sits 30% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 SAR 30.82

$5.99 COP 21.3K

37.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$32.86 COP 116.9K

61.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.45

$7.09 COP 25.2K

14.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SAR 8.37

Cappuccino

$4.09 SAR 15.34

$1.71 COP 6,093

139.18%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 SAR 2.66

$1.10 COP 3,910

-35.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.78 COP 2,771

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.09 COP 3,892

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.26 COP 4,492

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$1.38 COP 4,905

70.29%

Eggs

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$2.19 COP 7,799

24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SAR 32.44

$4.40 COP 15.7K

96.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.62

$5.63 COP 20.0K

77.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 SAR 54.7

$8.89 COP 31.6K

63.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$2.34 COP 8,319

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.06 COP 3,764

65.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$1.50 COP 5,355

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$1.38 COP 4,906

10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.82

$1.15 COP 4,097

12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

$1.16 COP 4,141

26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

$0.89 COP 3,170

62.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.99

$0.84 COP 2,986

-36.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.16 SAR 30.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.29

$2.28 COP 8,116

230.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$0.86 COP 3,045

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.73 SAR 138

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-11.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$1.47 COP 5,245

123.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.96 COP 6,984

-5.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 SAR 50.6

$7.74 COP 27.5K

74.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$0.95 COP 3,397

-33.68%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K SAR 128.1K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

88.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-11.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$104 SAR 391

$82.3 COP 292.7K

26.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.25 SAR 129

$9.50 COP 33.8K

260.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$24.23 COP 86.2K

217.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 394

$25.89 COP 92.1K

305.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 SAR 219

$19.00 COP 67.6K

206.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SAR 60.7

$3.93 COP 14.0K

311.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$457 SAR 1,716

$309 COP 1.1M

47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$58.7 COP 208.7K

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 SAR 241

$32.35 COP 115.1K

98.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SAR 400

$103 COP 365.1K

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$108 COP 385.8K

-7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SAR 4,024

$476 COP 1.7M

125.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 SAR 3,158

$379 COP 1.3M

122.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 SAR 7,608

$838 COP 3.0M

141.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 SAR 4,093

$724 COP 2.6M

50.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

10.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,931 SAR 7,247

$1,211 COP 4.3M

59.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,252 SAR 8,453

$512 COP 1.8M

340.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

13.43

-60.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Riyadh: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,072 in Riyadh versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 340% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Riyadh versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Riyadh vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riyadh is pricier by about 72%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,608 per month in Riyadh and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Riyadh and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,739 in Riyadh and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Riyadh at $1,739. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.